re: Any of you have stories about meeting drug smugglers, cartel members, etc

Honest truth. One weekend while I was stationed at Ft. Sam, three of us drove to Colorado (non stop) and bought six cases of Coors beer, then drove straight back (non stop) to the base with them hidden in the trunk.

Our friends in the barracks helped us destroy the evidence over the next week.

A couple of weeks later, we were asked to do it again and said no.

I am not claiming our adventure was the basis for Smokey and the Bandit, but we passed by several State Troopers during the drive so we were so close.